Pramila Mallik gets two addl portfolios

BHUBANESWAR: Amid speculation about the appointment of new ministers in a future reshuffle by chief minister Naveen Patnaik following the resignation of school and mass education minister Samir Ranjan Dash and labour minister Srikanta Sahu on Friday, the chief minister on Saturday assigned the two portfolios to revenue minister Pramila Mallik.
BJD insiders said the additional charge given to Pramila is a temporary arrangement till Naveen affects a reshuffle of his council of ministers. The date is yet to be finalised. Governor Ganeshi Lal is on a tour of his native state Haryana till May 22 but may return early in the event of a reshuffle.
Naveen is likely induct three new ministers and appoint a new speaker, a post which fell vacant after Bikram Kehari Arukha resigned on Friday. Apart from the two vacancies created by resignations of Samir and Srikanta, the council also has vacancy after the murder of Naba Kisore Das, who was health minster, by a policeman on January 29.